The invention relates, in general, to securing a flexible material about a container""s open end. In particular, the invention relates to a securing mechanism attachable to the flexible material""s surface thereby enabling the flexible material to be secured about the container""s open end.
Liners for containers are well known in the art. Typically, containers comprise a plurality of different shapes and sizes. The container may be round, square, oval or any desired geometric configuration. The containers generally have one end open and the opposite dosed end. The container may taper from one end to the other end.
Typically, the liners for containers are flexible, biodegradable or non-biodegradable. Typically, the flexible liners are made from polymer materials that are easily folded for convenient storage. Generally, the flexible liners are manufactured in a narrow range of sizes i.e., 10, 20, or 50 gallon capacity. The containers are manufactured in a variety of shapes and sizes. Only a limited quantity of containers are manufactured in the 10, 20, or 50 gallon capacity range. A liner placed inside a container that is smaller than the capacity of the liner results in the generation of excess liner material. The excess material allows the liner to fit loosely within the confines of the container. The loose fit of the liner to the container causes the liner to recede into the interior of the container when objects are placed in the liner.
In the past, attempts were made to accommodate the excess material by securing the excess material about the container. An example of that attempt is container 50, FIG. 4. The container 50 has liner 51 positioned to receive articles. A double-sided adhesive tape 52 with both sides of the tape having adhesive areas is provided. One of the adhesive sides has a protective covering disposed thereon. The other adhesive side is affixed to a portion of the outer surface 53 of the liner 51. The liner 51 is placed within the confines of the container 50 in such a way that a portion of the liner 51 with the double-sided adhesive tape 52 is extending outwardly from the container 50. The second protective covering is removed from the covered side of the tape 52. The excess material of the liner 51 is grasped by the user in such a way as to adjoin the second adhesive side of the double-sided adhesive tape 52 together supposedly tightening the liner 53 about the container""s 50 open end.
The complications of grasping the excess material in this manner and applying the double-sided adhesive tape (as discussed above) is that the length of the double-sided adhesive tape must equal the length of the excess material. If the length of the excess material is greater than the length of the double-sided adhesive tape, the liner will remain loose about the container""s open end. If the length of the excess material is smaller than the length of the double-sided adhesive tape the liner will stretch and possibly be torn. If the length of the excess material is equal to the length of the double-sided adhesive tape, the liner may be secured depending on the user""s skill and repetitive practice. During this process, the exact amount of excess material to be folded and secured by the length of the double-sided adhesive tape remains hidden from the user thus further complicating the process. Containers that are tapered change diameter from one end to the other. Depending on the length of the liner and the height of the container the liner may or may not tighten about the open end of the container. Gathering together the excess material of the liner while attempting to keep the adhesive side of the double-sided adhesive tape separated requires a second user. The first user positions the double-sided adhesive tape on the liner and keeps the excess material from being entangled with the double-sided adhesive tape. The second user gathers the excess material together while coordinating activities with the first user.
It would be desirable for any size liner to fit within the confines of a container with the top portion of the liner secured about the open end of the container. A single user would apply the securing mechanism. The securing mechanism would be visible to the user while application of securing the liner about the open end of the container.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention secures flexible material about the open end of a container. The preferred embodiment of the present invention is a single user operated securing mechanism that is visible to the user while securing the flexible material about the open end of a container. A portion of the flexible material, positioned about the open end of the container, is folded in a single or in a plurality of layers. Folding the layered portion tightens the flexible material about the container""s open end. The folded portion is positioned adjacent to the un-folded portion of the flexible material.
The securing mechanism is a single-sided adhesive tape having a portion thereof pre-attached to the folded portion of the flexible material. The remaining unattached portion of the single-sided adhesive tape has a protective covering disposed thereon. The protective covering is removed and adjoined to the un-folded portion of the flexible material. The single user securing the flexible material about the open end of the container has the securing mechanism in view during the securing operation.
The second embodiment of the present invention reinforces the flexible material along one edge of the flexible material. The reinforced area disposed on the flexible material comprises at least one overlying portion that is secured to the flexible material thereby forming a reinforced area of the flexible material. The reinforced area contains the securing mechanism. When securing the flexible material about the open end of the container the reinforced area prevents inadvertent tearing or ripping of the flexible material.
When taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims, other features and advantages of the present invention become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention.